


End Game: How It Really Should Have Ended

by fraufi666



Category: Neighbours (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Drabble, I never thought I would stoop so low, Implied Arson, Implied Murder, Kidnapping, M/M, Mummy Issues, Possibly daddy issues too, Romance, Soap Opera, Unrequited Love, but there you have it, enjoy, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23324095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraufi666/pseuds/fraufi666
Summary: Harry Sinclair has always loved Finn Kelly since employing him to work as a teacher for a school back in Sydney. Although Finn has still been committing crimes, Harry cannot rid the strong feelings he has for him. After discovering he was on Pierce Greyson’s island, Harry knows he is up to no good. The younger man, however, tugs at his heartstrings once more. Are Finn Kelly’s feelings genuine? Or is there something more going on?
Relationships: Finn Kelly/Harry Sinclair
Kudos: 3





	End Game: How It Really Should Have Ended

“Then prove it.”

Those were the words that had changed everything. Finn Kelly, the man he had loved for years had finally succumbed to him. As he caught the jetty back to the mainland, Harry Sinclair played that scene in his head over and over. He savoured the image of the slight, yet toned body that stood before him as the towel fell, like the unveiling of a Roman sculpture.

Never in his life had anything seemed so genuine from the younger man. From being so used to watching him from the sidelines, his heart yearning for a love he could never have, Finn was now proving himself to him. He was always a mischievous devil, Harry knew that. When he was in jail, Harry heard many stories of the elusive Finn Kelly, some exaggerated, but all were factual. He had terrorised so many people and he was not well. Harry even helped Finn follow through with some of these deeds. But despite all the red flags, the older man could see that there was something more to his former employee. There was a softer side to him that was hidden beneath that hardened, granite exterior and it would take patience to break it down to find that soft centre.

But did Finn hurt him? Yes. Many times. No matter how many times Harry tried to get closer, the younger man would continually push him away. But whatever it was they had was special, he knew it. There was a time when Harry would hate this man with every ounce of his being and frame him for crimes he did not commit, but he did it all for him. Now that he was out of jail, he could finally discover why Finn was so desperate to reach out to him, despite being so closed off previously. Finn was like a flame, burning out of control and he was a hopeless moth about to have his wings seared. No matter how much the man had hurt him, he could not go away...even if it killed him. Who was he kidding. He needed him and he knew that Finn needed him too. 

As the sun beat down on his slightly soaked shirt, he recalled his heart racing as Finn moved closer, lips finally meeting his. His stubble caressed Finn’s smooth jawline as they kissed, tongues joining in an act of passion. If Finn did not love him, then why did it all seem so real? He had seen the woman that Finn mercilessly threw down the mine. Harry caught sight of his reflection in the cracked mobile phone face. His rugged features looked back at him, grey hair unkempt, contrasting with the dark, deep-set eyes that were filled with a mix of both sadness and relief. If Finn was willing to throw the beautiful Beatrix into the mine to spend time with an old man like him, then what they had must have been real. Harry put down his phone and gazed into the horizon, hoping that Finn was not just playing with his feelings.

But try as he might, he could not forget his recent encounter with Finn. His mind went back to when Finn stood before him, his body naked and ready. Harry kissed the bare neck, watching the veins stand taut as Finn shuddered in pleasure. He was ready to give him anything and more. Like a faithful servant to his king, Harry fell to his knees, about to take him into his mouth before Finn grabbed at his sweat-stained pink shirt.

“This has to go.”

Harry blushed. He was not terribly confident in his body, for all he had to show were a beer gut and a smattering of grey hair on his chest. Finn’s body was too perfect and he did not want to disappoint him. “That won’t be necessary.” The older man said, gazing up at Finn lovingly, “I just want to make you happy.”  
  
It was Finn’s turn to fall to his knees, shoving Harry onto the ground so that he was lying on his back. Finn planted himself on top of him, pinning him down. Wide-eyed, the older man watched Finn unbutton his shirt and then taking off his shorts. “I’m sorry you could not see me in my prime-” Harry began, but Finn put a finger to his dry lips.  
  
“Shut up you old man and do me.” Finn muttered, his voice heavy with lust.  
  
The insult only turned Harry on all the more and he was more than happy to accommodate.  
  


After they had made love, Harry suggested that they come to an arrangement. He wanted to keep the young man in line, to ensure that he did not go completely off the rails. It was no fun being in jail, as an older homosexual man, and he could not imagine Finn encountering the same kind of treatment he had: he would be far too fragile. His perfect body would be a target. Men in jail would not be as understanding about taking care of Finn; they just wanted to inflict pain. How Harry longed to protect him! Yet at the same time, Harry’s needs were selfish, for he hoped that the younger man would follow his part in the bargain and fill the loneliness in his heart. To his dismay, Finn never gave a proper answer. From all the times he had known him, the young man had too many inner demons. But he knew that one day Finn would give him the key to open that part of himself. Perhaps.

He had travelled for hours, finally making his way back to the cabin in the Snowy Mountains. Kicking off his shoes, he took a seat on the couch, waiting for Finn to arrive. He paced backwards and forwards like a caged lion, growing impatient. After a while, Harry went out briefly to get the most expensive wine he could find. The store clerk looked a bit confused as Harry asked angrily where the best wine was. He was too worried to bother with being polite. Finn could have been anywhere after all. Quickly, he found a bottle that was worth 50 dollars. It certainly was not as spectacular as what Pierce Greyson produced, but it was better than nothing; all he had left from his meagre savings as a former school principal should cover it. Quickly, he bought the bottle, practically throwing the cash at clerk. “Sir, your change!” He called out, but Harry ignored him, heart racing as he tried to ring Finn again. He held the phone to his ear, hoping to hear that voice he loved, but there was still no answer.

As the sun started to set, Harry set out two glasses for them both. He furrowed his brow, why was Finn taking so long? Taking out his phone, he rang Finn, but it went straight back to voicemail. Was he in trouble? Harry began to perspire at the thought. It was possible that he was caught by one of the many Ramsey Street residents he hurt. He left the wine on the table and made his way outside, only to see two figures walking towards the cabin.

“Harry! Harry, are you home?” A familiar voice. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Finn holding a carrier as he walked in with an older woman with short, red hair. In the carrier, a baby shrieked like a banshee. Harry cringed at the sound. He thought they would have a nice, romantic getaway, just the two of them.

“Who is she?” Harry asked in curiosity,

“My niece, Aster of course.” Finn grumbled, “Elly betrayed me, so I gave her what she deserved.”

“No, I mean who is _she_ -“ Harry gestured at the older woman, her face as white as a sheet. He felt slight tinge of jealousy, but tried to ignore it.

“It’s Susan Kennedy.” Finn said with a grin, “She’s going to look after us. We’re going to be a family now!”

“Please,” Susan begged to Finn, “You’re not well.” She looked at Harry pleadingly, hoping that he could spot the desperation in her eyes. He did. After all, he did not want Susan to be here either. The woman looked slightly uncomfortable, her hands shaking as they walked into the cabin. Finn’s hand grasped her shoulder, making sure that she was not going to run away.

Harry tried to interject, but Finn completely ignored him. He was in a state again, and it reminded him of the troublesome students he had to deal with all those years ago. He reached out to touch Finn on the arm, but the man flinched. “Finn, tell me what happened.” Harry urged. If Susan could not get through to him, at least he could. He had all the time in the world for him.

“Go get some groceries.” Finn snapped, “Aster needs some milk.” The baby began to wail again. Aster was clearly detecting the stress that shrouded Finn. As Harry stood closely to Finn, he could smell the odour of petrol fumes. Something was terribly wrong. “Finn, what is going on?” He tried to make eye contact with the dark blue orbs that tried to dart away from his gaze. Gently, he reached out to touch Finn’s hand, knowing that he had to be careful with him, “You can tell me anything, you know that.”

“Is Harry bothering you?” Susan asked, noticing Finn’s reaction. Harry awkwardly let go of Finn’s hand, taking a step back. The younger man did not answer, too fixated on Aster. The baby continued to cry. “Finn, let me look after her.”

“I CAN TAKE CARE OF HER!” Finn shouted, shocking both of them. Eyes blazing, he clutched onto Aster as if she were the most important thing in the world. “You know, when my brother was born, mum wouldn’t let me see her. I caught a train to see him and when I held him for the first time, mum yelled _get back_ as if I was going to hurt him. Why did people think I was going to hurt my little brother? I loved him…”

“We know that.” Susan tried to say, eyes wide in concern.

Finn tried to hold back tears. “I am so tired.” He shot a glare at Harry, and the older man understood. Right now, if he ever wanted a repeat of the love he had received from earlier on, he had to give him space. The last thing he ever wanted was to get on the bad side of Finn Kelly. Hesitantly, Harry took a step outside to give them space, but curiosity got the better of him as he pressed his ear against the wooden wall. “Lie down with me Susan.”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat. He could not believe what he heard. Was this betrayal? He watched through the window as the two spoke as they lay side by side, not touching one another. It seemed innocent enough, he realised. But he wondered why was it that Finn refused to open up to him. There had to be something more. She had put a hand on his shoulder and his hand touched hers.

Then, he saw her holding Finn from behind as he sobbed. He could not take it anymore. It was bad enough that Finn had only wanted to sleep with him to delete the incriminating video of him and Beatrix, but it did not make matters any better that he had now moved on to someone else. As soon as Harry walked in, Susan had disentangled herself from his embrace, giving the older man a watchful look.

“He’s very tired.” She explained in a hushed whisper. “Let him rest.”

“What is going on between you two?” Harry asked accusingly. Susan looked back at him in confusion.

“N-nothing.” She said quickly, “Please, keep your voice down.”

But Harry could not. He was used to being tossed to the side. He was used to having his feelings unrequited and standing in the shadows. Yet this was different. There was no point in hiding his feelings anymore and staying quiet any longer. “What Finn and I have together is special.” He said in determination, taking a step closer to Susan. The woman took a step back hastily, fear painted so clearly on her face. He reached into his jacket to draw out a small, silver pistol and pointed it at her, she gasped, her hands quivering.

“Please, Harry don’t do this.” She pleaded desperately, her hands in the air “There is nothing going on between us two. Finn needs help. You of all people know that!”

“And you call that help?” Harry sneered, his face twisted in a mix of fury and jealousy. “ The pistol shook slightly as he walked towards her. He could see Finn’s lying form from the corner of his eye. So vulnerable and alone. He had to protect him, even if it meant going back to jail for it. A lump rose in his throat and he blinked rapidly to keep the tears from seeping from his eyes. “Finn and I were supposed to have a life together. That was all I ever wanted. You and that damn baby ruined everything!”  
  
“Don’t hurt her!” Susan cried, stepping backwards “Just let us go. Aster has nothing to do with any of this!”

Laughter filled the air and both former and current school principals stopped still in their tracks. Finn had leapt off the bed, his eyes glinting viciously in the dim light. “I’m afraid we cannot let you do that.” He said to Susan, as he edged towards her, “Because we need you for one _very_ important thing.”

“What are you talking about?” Susan asked. Harry shared her bewilderment. There was absolutely no discussion about bringing Susan to the cabin. He looked to Finn for an explanation. The younger man gave a lopsided smile.

“I need you to perform your celebrant duties here.”

“What?!” Susan gasped, “But Elly…she’s not here.”

Finn walked towards Harry, placing a hand the shaking pistol as he stared into the older man’s eyes. “It’s not for Elly. It’s for…you.”

Harry exhaled, putting down the pistol. “I…I thought you changed your mind.” He said, “When you and Susan lay together.”

“She is like a mother I never had.” Finn said, reaching out to touch the frightened woman on the shoulder. “But Harry, you are the person I always needed in my life. You stood by me, not like Elly and all the others.” His free hand moved up to stroke Harry on the cheek, “As I said at the lake, feelings are complicated. But looking at how I was treated by everyone at Erinsborough, you two are the only people who have been loyal to me. You especially, Harry.” There was warmth in his voice that Harry had never witnessed before.

“I love you, Finn. You know I always have.” Harry admitted, “But don’t you think this is too rash?” As much as he loved the idea of marriage to Finn, part of him could not help but feel suspicious: what if this was another part of scheme?

Finn frowned, “You don’t want to marry me.” He looked hurt as his hand fell from Harry’s face. “Am I ever good enough for anyone?” Tears started to fall from his eyes as he began to pace the room, wrestling with his inner demons. “My parents didn’t love me. Elly didn’t love me. What is it about me that is so unlovable? Is my past going to continue to haunt me for the rest of my life?” With one mighty shove, the ornaments on the shelf fell to the floor. He began to sob, falling to his knees, his face in his hands. Harry was about to approach him but Susan signalled him to stay put. Gingerly, she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Finn, you are not unlovable. But you need help. All this hate and anger is not going to help anyone. Now it is time to do something right. Let Aster and I leave and you can start your life afresh.”

Finn looked up at her, his eyes red. “You won’t tell Karl?”  
  
Susan was hesitant about keeping such a secret, but decided to play along. All she could see was the scared 19-year-old boy that was trapped within the body of a traumatised man. Even though she felt anger towards him for terrorising her nieces, she could not help but feel sorry for him. “I won’t tell anyone. Just let us go.” She put a hand on his head, as if comforting a child, “If you really want your past to not haunt you, now is the chance.”

“But Aster…” Finn began, “She’s all the family I have left. She’s the only connection I have to Shaun.”

Susan’s expression hardened, “Aster would be happier in Erinsborough with family and friends than on the run. This is not the kind of life that would be good for her.” She stroked his hair, noticing a few more tears run down his cheeks, “You have to let go of what happened with Elly and Shaun. Aster will only remind you of what you did that was wrong. Please don’t make the same mistakes that your parents did. She does not deserve to go through what you did. Nobody does.”

Finn wiped the tears from his eyes hastily, looking back up at Susan. Even though he did not want to let go of his niece, he knew that she was right. What kind of life would it be for Aster if he and Harry were constantly fleeing from the authorities? He turned to the older man who had remained silent, dark eyes full of concern and care. How could someone remain so stable and so patient with him, even after all the things he did? In a way, he wished his memory had never returned. Life was much simpler having the mindset of a 19 year old. He longed to go back to when he was blissfully unaware of how horrible things were, long before that traumatising experience in Columbia.

But as much as he wanted to wipe his mind clean, he could not. This was his life now. He looked to Susan and to Aster, reminders of his old life of torment and then to Harry, a shining beacon of hope. The older man was patient and considerate. He was nothing like his father, who was more than happy to leave his son to suffer at the hands of rebels in Columbia. Finn clenched his fists as he thought of that careless act of selfishness that had ruined his life. Harry had given him more love than the entire population on Ramsey Street. Now he knew who to choose.  
  
Finn walked over to Harry and he fell to one knee. “Harry Sinclair.”  
  
The older man’s eyebrows raised, he could not believe what was happening. Was he dreaming? Susan’s hands went to her mouth in surprise.  
  
“Will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?”

Harry pulled Finn into an embrace. “A thousand times yes, Finn. Of course.”  
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t get you a ring…” Finn admitted sheepishly, “I hope you can forgive me.”

The older man chuckled as he stroked the man’s dark locks. “That’s not important. You are all I ever wanted.”  
  
“I think this calls for a celebration.” Susan said with a smile. But then the smile faded “I didn’t have time to write a speech for the two of you.” She realised in worry.  
  
Finn laughed, “Don’t worry about that, Susan. Just let us get married!”

Although this was the most unconventional wedding Susan would ever be involved in, she was more than happy to pour the wine for the two men while Finn fashioned a last-minute veil for Harry to wear from the old curtain. After Susan had said the improvised vows, Finn ripped off the veil to plant a passionate kiss on Harry’s lips.

Finn was so immersed in his embrace with Harry that he did not even notice Susan gently picking up Aster and putting her in the carrier. He did not even hear her close the door as she made her way out of the cabin. Even as the car had driven away, Finn was too busy getting undressed and tossing his clothes aside as the older man did the same. Elly, Shaun, Beatrix, his parents…all of that was just like remnants from a bad dream.

“Tell me,” Harry murmured as Finn planted several kisses down his neck, “Why did it take you so long to return your feelings?”

“Because you were the only one who broke down the granite walls of my heart.” Finn replied, smiling cheekily as he traced his fingers against Harry’s shoulder. The words sounded so uncharacteristic for Finn, but Harry did not mind getting acquainted to the soft, sensitive side of the man he loved.  
  


He had all the time in the world.

Epilogue

Only halfway home did Susan receive news on what happened on the island. There was a fire and it was obvious who set it. Only two people could not make it: Gary Canning and Elly Conway. While Gary had suffered from a single arrow shot to the heart, Elly did not survive the fall down the mineshaft. A single tear slid against her cheek as she drove through the darkness. The school principal looked back at Aster who was completely unaware that she was now an orphan. 

“Guess I’m your family now.” Susan remarked sadly, as the infant stared at her blankly. This was yet another secret she had to keep from Karl, although she was sure that Bea and Karl would be eager to look after Aster as well. Guilt weighed heavily on her heart as she hoped that nobody would find out that she had let a psychopath escape with his accomplice. Ramsey Street would never forgive her. But she knew that Finn would not think of committing any more crimes after he had received the love he was denied of for so many years. As the hardness in Finn’s heart subsided, the granite of hers was only going to thicken. 

It was better this way.


End file.
